A Heroine of Time
by TheNavyBlueCapricorn
Summary: I present my first ever FanFiction. I'll do the best I can to make it good. I accept constructive criticism. I do not own anything.
1. Chapter 1

From TheNavyBlueCapricorn comes a Fanfiction debut inspired by _The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess_. I do not own anything.

A Heroine of Time

 _Chapter 1: The Farm Woman_

"Dang, girl. You got this herdin' thing down!" A man from Ordon Village, Fado, cried from the field enthusiastically.

It was then a tall, 24 year-old woman by the name of Ashley exited from the goats' shed, who had shoulder length brown hair, hazel eyes, & was slightly overweight. "Thanks," she said, dusting herself off before getting on her horse, Epona. "I appreciate your feedback."

"Well, since you & yer brother are the only ones who can herd these goats to my standards, it's no wonder I keep callin' you back here," he told Ashley.

She nodded & practiced jumping over the fences with Epona. Goat herding was Ashley's day job, which provided her with a comfortable way of living in Ordon Village. Although they were very uncooperative at times, the goats seemed to be aware of Epona following their trail & had responded to Ashley's whooping. Fado paid her the weekly salary, & she rode to her home that was a little outside of the main Village.

After Ashley climbed up the ladder, she opened the pale door to her kitchen/living room, flopping herself down on the couch. "You know, herding goats pay my bills, but there is more to life than working all of the time," Ashley thought. "I want to see Hyrule in its entirety, not only this Village." That night, she cooked & consumed pumpkin soup, Ordon cheese, & a few pieces of wheat bread pondering what she could do to quench her thirst for adventure. "I could explore Faron Woods," Ashley thought. "I hear strange things about how weird it is, plus I have to collect firewood with Rusl the swordsman tomorrow." She quickly sipped the last of the soup, & washed her dishes.

Nobody else lived with her, but her younger brother & parents lived in the main village. It got a little lonely being by herself, but Ashley had the admiration & respect of everyone in Ordon Village. Thus, she was not alone 100 percent of the time. Those who liked Ashley the most were 4 children named Beth, Colin, Malo, & Talo, who all differed in their ages. When she was not herding, Ashley was hanging out with them or practicing her fencing skills with Rusl, her teacher. Ashley would get the kids out of trouble & act as their parent, yet she had a childlike sense of fun & wonder in which they had appreciated. Ashley tucked herself in her twin bed with blue, cotton sheets & a wooden structure.

The next day, Ashley was herding goats again, but today was different in the fact that she was asked to do different tasks on Ordon Ranch. "Hey, Ash," Fado greeted. "I need to ask ya somethin.'" "Huh?" Ashley asked, dismounting from Epona's back. "Can you milk all the cows & feed the chickens?" "Sure," she answered, not sure why he asked her today when it was as good as any given day.

Whence she performed those tasks & wrapped up feeding the goats, Rusl the swordsman walked to the expansive, green field. "Ashley, we need to get that firewood before dusk." After leading the final goat into the shed, they rode into Faron Woods, chopping down all of the dead trees for the townspeople's utilization of fire. Jon, Ashley's very tall brother, helped them for a while before he had to come home for a freshly cooked dinner of steak. This gave Rusl the opportunity to ask her an important favor. Sitting at the Faron Spring, they stared at the flowing water & into the sunset sky.

"There is nothing quite like a sunset, huh, Ash?" Rusl said. "This moment does make me feel sad at times."

"I understand, & one can't put into words what a sunset feels like because there are many ways one can describe it," Ashley mentioned.

"I don't mean to interrupt your busy life, but can I ask you a question?"

"I am listening."

"I procrastinated, but I made a sword to give to the royal family. I am unable to go to Hyrule, but would you be able to?"

"Yeah, I can. In fact, I want to travel outside of the village & meet the royal family. I have never ventured out further than here & Ordon Village."

"Hyrule is much different compared to here, Ashley. The castle was majestic, & I liked interacting with the people & the royal family. You would appreciate it."

They rose from the Spring's sand, bringing Epona along. The teacher & student talked about the details of the errand, like the day & time of Ashley's departure & arrival to Ordon & what to do when she got to the royal family. When the two arrived at Ashley's house (that was built into a tree), Rusl reunited with his pregnant wife & eight year-old son, Colin. He liked being around Ashley because she gave him confidence when the other children made fun of his timid behavior. Colin turned to smile at her because she helped his development to be a bolder child. Ashley smiled in return because she was proud of how far he had come along in life.

15 minutes later, because Ashley did not secure Epona very well in her place by the house, a barefoot girl who wore a cream tank top & orange pants took her into the forest without asking.

Ashley heard a loud voice calling her name as she was reading a book by the window. She peered out of that window to find Fado outside of her house. "What could he want at this hour?" Ashley thought. She turned her head toward Epona's usual spot. "Oh, my God. Somebody could've stolen her!" Ashley ran everywhere to look for her horse to find her at Ordon Spring, where Ilia was bonding with Epona.

"I didn't see you, Ashley," Ilia, Mayor Bo's daughter, said, turning from the horse.

"What you are doing?" Ashley inquired.

"Oh, Ashley, I am washing your horse. It is no big deal," Ilia answered.

"Um, okay," Ashley answered. She did not know what to make of this act of kindness, especially because Ilia did not ask beforehand. Ilia was Ashley's friend, but they were uneasy acquaintances because Ilia had teased Ashley for her brains in their childhood. "I need Epona back for work, if you please." Ilia let her take Epona back to Ordon Ranch.

As Ashley rode by Ordon Village, she saw Hanch & Sara talking amongst themselves & Rusl demonstrating sword play to his family near the water. Everything seemed peaceful, & Ashley took in the sights of everybody & the natural surroundings about her. Finally, she arrived at Ordon Ranch, where Fado was waiting.

"You herd the goats better than I can. Do you think you could before dark?" He asked. Ashley rode Epona, directing 3 to 5 goats at a time to the shed in a repetitive motion. Her voice was ringing through the air across the atmosphere. Fado let Ashley practice with the fences once more, but she was tired out from what happened during the day: working all day & collecting firewood after work. After parking her horse, Ashley inhaled, got ready to sleep, closed her eyes, & deeply immersed herself in her dream world.


	2. Chapter 2

A Heroine of Time

 _Chapter 2: Monkeying Around_

It was 10 o' clock in the morning on a sunny day in Ordon Village. The birds were chirping loudly, very few clouds were in the light blue sky, & everybody was outside enjoying the lovely weather. Ashley was the only person who was not awake yet because of her vivid dream about fighting off hoards of monsters in a circle engulfed by fire.

"ASHLEY!"

"What? Who said that?" Ashley asked herself, rising slowly from her bed. It was Talo's voice, & he was joined by Beth, Colin, & Malo. "I must have been lazy."

She put on a dark purple tank top and blue capris & finished her ensemble with tan sandals. As Ashley opened up the door, she could not help but eavesdrop on what the children were talking about when they were facing one another & all grouped together.

"Oh, Beth, I want that slingshot!" Talo said.

"Yes, I wonder what kinds of tricks we can do with it," Malo intervened.

"My Mom's store has the slingshot, but I don't have the money to afford it." Beth mentioned.

Suddenly, Talo saw Ashley standing by them. "Hey, Ashley. You make enough money with your herding job. Do you think you can buy the slingshot for us?"

"I wouldn't want to get into trouble with your parents for buying that, but I'll see what I can do," she answered to them. All of them cheered, except for Colin, as Ashley made her way by foot in the main part of Ordon Village.

Ashley walked around in the lush, green grass, & a calm wind lifted her hair. She tried to think of what she could do on her day off from work, & she saw Rusl's wife, Uli, standing by the riverside.

"Hi, Ashley," she said, touching her growing abdomen. "I can't seem to find my cradle that I had my son use when he was a baby. I have another child on the way, & it worries me that it is missing from the house. Can you help me?"

"I'd be happy to look for it for you," Ashley replied to Uli. She began to pace away from her toward Sara's small store until somebody called her name.

"Hey, Ashley! Can you come up on this rock? I want to talk to you 'cause I have a little information for you." A short man who was Talo's Dad called out to her, & Ashley took notice of this. She climbed up the ivy that led to the top of the rock & stood on it with Jaggle. "I've called you here because Sara's cat hasn't returned to her owner. She is worried about the cat, & it seems to be staring down at the water. Can you do something about that, Ash?"

"I could try to catch a fish. Maybe the cat could bring it back to the shop, thus, Sara is happy," Ashley suggested to Jaggle.

"Could be, Ashley. I know you'll figure somethin' out." Jaggle stared at the sky as he stood, & Ashley found light green, yellowish grass that looked like the shape of a hawk on the top. After she took a piece from the earth, she blew on it, producing a song that made a hawk appear on her mid right arm. Suddenly, Ashley saw a grey monkey with a pink flower by its right ear holding up what looked like a wooden cradle like the very one Uli described to her.

"Whoa!" Ashley said as she witnessed the brown hawk taking it from the monkey's hands. It returned to her, placing the cradle in her hands, & she ran to Uli's side once more. "I found the cradle." Uli gave Ashley a look of surprise, & then took it from her with a smile.

"Thank you. This was made when my son, Colin, was born," Uli mentioned to her.

"You are very welcome." Ashley longingly gazed at the handcrafted object. "You know, Uli… I-I know I live in my house alone, but I wonder what it is like to be a mother."

"Why are you intrigued by motherhood, Ashley? You might not get a good night's sleep again. Colin is worth it for Rusl & I, however."

"Bringing another human being into the world is a beautiful process, especially with one's mate. I feel I can raise a child or two well, & I have a maternal instinct when I am in the children of Ordon's presences."

Uli laughed heartily & looked at her. "Ashley, it is a full time commitment, &, fortunately, I can view you as somebody who can handle all of the responsibility that being a parent would bring. As a reward for what you did for me, here is a fishing pole. It was my son's, but you can utilize it."

Ashley grinned, wished Uli luck with the birth of her incoming baby, & strolled near Hanch's house. He appeared to be staring at a bee hive atop the great, tall oak tree that towered above his locked house. "Hey, Hanch," she greeted. "What's going on?"

"Oh, Ashley," Hanch sighed. "If there was a way that the hive would come down on its own, I'd like that very much."

"Well, I can fix this for you, then. Those bees won't bother you anymore, Hanch."

Ashley climbed up the ivy to the rock where Jaggle stood, leaped across the roof of Sara's shop, & summoned the hawk to aim it at the bee's hive. As soon as the hawk pierced it, it cracked opened to form a flower like shape on the ground.

"Thanks, Ash."

"No problem," Ashley exclaimed. It made her proud to help the people around her with anything that they needed or wanted help with. Ashley took a few steps ahead to one of the pumpkin patches by Jaggle's house & pulled out her fishing rod. The black, orange, & white cat that Sara had intently gazed at the fish in the clear water below Ashley's feet. As she cast the fishing pole out, the cat meowed as if she wanted something from Ashley. She did not have time to look at the cat, but instead transferred her focus to catching fish. Three full minutes had passed, & Ashley continued to wait. But then, BITE! She pulled her pole to an upright position again & again in a quick motion, until a green fish was finally caught. The cat was bursting with happiness, & she showed it by running across the bridge all the way back to Sara into a very small, painted door that was made for it on the side of the front door.

"My goodness!" Ashley thought when she gaped at Sara's cat. "I knew she wanted a fish." Ashley wandered into Sara's place & found the cat sitting on the countertop & licking itself.

"Oh, Ashley! Did you see what happened? My cat came back on its own," Sara exclaimed to her.

"Yeah," Ashley said, knowing that it was she who prompted that. With that out of the way, she left the sundries, climbed up the ivy near Hanch's house to collect the 15 Rupees, & rolled into tall oak trees to buy the slingshot the kids were itching to try. Finally, she had 30 Rupees, which was the amount she needed for that. Ashley reentered the shop, & Sara was confused.

"Why do you want to buy this? You are too old for a slingshot," Sara said.

Ashley kept the reasoning to herself & thanked Sara for allowing the transaction to occur, regardless of whether she explained or not. Once she turned the knob of the door, our main character approached her house, where the group of young ones remained standing in front of. Now, Rusl passed her by, & out of nowhere it had seemed.

"I dropped something off at your house, Ashley," her teacher told her.

"Okay; I'll check out what it is." She thrust herself up the ladder to her house in the tree, stepped inside of that, & opened up a blue treasure chest. Inside was a wooden sword. "This is nice, but I doubt it is the gift for the Hyrule royal family," Ashley thought. "Oh, well…" Upon returning outside, Talo spotted what Rusl gave to her.

"You got the slingshot & a wooden sword, Ashley?" He asked. She nodded, looking down at them. "Can you teach us how to use them, pleeeeeeaaaase?"

"Sure, you guys," Ashley answered, & she performed what was asked of her by the children without their aid.

"Yeah, you're the best, Ash! Thanks for teaching me, & I can do that when those monkeys show up," Talo said, & Beth & Malo agreed. But, Colin stood in the corner of her land, watching her from the sidelines. This raised a concerned feeling inside of Ashley. She thought she'd talk to him later to diagnose the issue.

Very suddenly, the same chimpanzee from earlier arrived in the passage way from the village to Ashley's house. It only stared at the human beings & ran into the forest.

"C'mere you!" Talo yelled, sprinting into Faron Woods. He was unaware of what dangers awaited him, & the other children were near Ordon Spring. All of them dared not to cross the bridge to the forest. Ashley knew she had to save Talo & was unhesitant to hop on Epona's back & charged into Faron Woods to bring him back to the village.

While riding into Faron Woods, & around a bend past its Spring, she discovered a dark, small cave. Unequipped & unprepared, with the lone wooden sword on her back, Ashley dismounted & found Talo's wooden stick once she took a few steps toward the opening. "He must have been taken into the cave. Who knows what I'll find here," Ashley thought. "But, I can't wander in the darkness for a long time."

Then, she walked around the wilderness & found an average height male sitting on a tree stump by an idle fire pit. He had curly, brown hair in an afro & was near shirtless with a blue top. The man wore tight blue & white pants, & brown sandals with green detailing. "Hey! It's an Ordonian," He said to her. "You probably want to go into that cave by my house, right?"

"How did you know?" Ashley asked, being half sarcastic with her voice.

"I took a wild guess. I'm Coro, & I live in Faron Woods," he continued on. "If you are entering there, you can take this lantern. It's free."

Ashley thanked Coro, ignited the fire pit for him upon his request, & headed into the cave by foot, & Epona waited for her rider outside. With her new lantern, she was able to make her way through the cave without fail. Ashley encountered bats & rats with her wooden sword, & she even opened up a few small treasure chests with her foot to find more Rupees for her collection of them. At the exit of the cave, she was immersed in a wooded area which had quite hostile purple goblins with green eyes & black pupils. More bats were present, & Ashley acquainted herself with this location of the woods that she never knew.

"Now, that's what I am talking about when I said I wanted more adventure!" Ashley exclaimed to herself.

She found a key in another small cavern & utilized that to open a large gate that was guarded by a couple goblins. Ashley was more worried about Talo when she was unable to find him while she moved forward in Faron Woods. The following area was very green with vegetation, & a bridge was on its side. There were two more purple goblins engaged in a conversation in which Ashley found the dialect to be incomprehensible. She used her slingshot as a diversion, & they ran toward her. Ashley cut through them both with the wooden sword from Rusl.

As she traveled toward a temple inside of a tree, a very little shop was on her right side. Within that store, a predominantly blue & green toucan named Trill ran it all by himself. No customers were there because it was a dense part of the forest, & nobody lived this environment. "Hey, you! Buy something," he called to Ashley. Although she turned her head to see him, she did not talk & continued up the wooded path to the Forest Temple determinedly.

At the top of the tree, where the entrance was, Ashley fought more of the goblins & freed both the female monkey & Talo from their cells with the swings of her wooden sword. Next, she escorted Talo back to the village. There was a small sliver of tension in the air after that. "Thanks, Ash," Talo said. "If you didn't come & save me, I probably would've been eaten."

"I did not want your parents to freak out," Ashley answered. "I was worried, too, & it was the right decision to help."

"Can you not tell? I don't want them to know. You have to promise."

"All right, then, Talo. I'll keep today a secret."

Talo sprinted back to Ordon Village, & Rusl approached her when she left from Faron. "Hello, Ashley. I heard about everything that happened in the woods, & it seems you were successful in bringing Talo back to Ordon. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Rusl." Ashley said. "I did what I could to help out."

"Faron Woods is a weirder place now from what I remembered it to be."

"Yes; monsters were everywhere. At times, I almost jumped out of my skin."

"The forest wasn't always like this."

"I understand that. I might not have lived as long, but I believe you."

There was a pause in their interaction in the golden sunset, whose beams seeped through the many trees' branches. "I want to wish you luck on your travels to Hyrule tomorrow."

"Thanks," she told him.

Ashley's teacher slowly turned to her. "As I told you, I believe you'd like the royal family in Hyrule."

"Why is that, Rusl?"

"Because they are committed to helping Hyrule's people, & there is a good person who seems fully normal."

"Who?"

"Prince Kyle."

"What do you like about him?" They began walking back to Ordon Village, taking their time.

"Well, Prince Kyle certainly doesn't sit on the throne all day. When the guards (or his parents) aren't looking, he mingles among the commoners like you & I & helps them with their life problems."

"He isn't secluded in Hyrule Castle, then," Ashley noted. Now, she was interested in meeting Prince Kyle.

"It's hard to say if you'll meet him or not."

"I know, but, if I do, maybe we could be friends."

Rusl elaborated on Prince Kyle's character, because he detected Ashley's interest in the youngest of the family.

"He is very kind & driven to help his royal family & all the people in Castle Town, Ashley. Prince Kyle & I went to Telma's Bar & talked about our busy lives like old friends would. He complained about not wanting to marry a Princess Gertrude from a neighboring kingdom."

"Oh…"

"From his reasoning, I could understand why, Ashley."

"But, why-?"

"Oh! Fado wanted to ask you a question earlier, & you should probably get to it before the sun sets."

"Okay." Ashley rode on Epona to Ordon Ranch.

"I heard you were goin' tomorrow, Ash. Whaddya say we fit in one more herdin' before ya go?"

She nodded & performed the herding for what could have been her last time in doing that. Afterwards, Ashley reflected on what the day brought her & how her journey may proceed upon riding out of Ordona Province. Gradually, she closed her eyes. Tomorrow marked a new chapter in life, & Ashley was ready for that adventure.

A/N: I began a job, & I am apologizing for the wait for Chapter 2. I do not own anything.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 is here, & I do not own anything.A Heroine of Time

 _Chapter 3: The False Departure_

Ashley returned to work after what was an eventful day off, & she was now practicing with the fences in the afternoon up on Epona's back. It was a bright day in Ordon Village, as it hardly rained where Ashley lived. Both horse & rider were enjoying the fresh air & the aroma of the freshly cut lawn on Ordon Ranch. "I guess I'll call it a day now, Fado," Ashley told her boss, remaining on Epona's back.

"Okay, Ash. I know it'll be a li'l while 'fore I see ya. Good luck with gettin' that sword Rusl made to Hyrule," he said.

After thanking Fado for the wishes of a safe journey, Ashley rode toward Bo, the mayor's, house. As Epona walked by, Ilia saw Ashley & walked beside them to talk, as she was excited to see Ashley before her departure. "Hey, Ashley. I heard you were going today; is that so?"

"Yeah. I hope not to be too long on the delivery," Ashley answered. It was then that Bo had a chance to talk to her because he wanted to give Ashley information.

"Are you done with herdin'?"

"Uh huh," Ashley said.

"Good. You are a dependable person to have in this village, Ashley." It seemed from Bo's body language like he had more to say; thus, she dismounted from her horse to discuss the brand new job with the mayor. "What you'll give is all set to go. The royal family was very specific about what they wanted, so don't be late. You're Ordon Village's top person, after all. Understand me?"

"Yes, sir."

Ilia cared about Ashley's horse deeply, & she spoke to her in a calming tone of voice. "It might be a long way, but bring Ashley to & from Hyrule in one piece, please." All of a sudden, Ilia saw the scuff marks on Epona's front left leg, which were bleeding a little. "Wait… Hold on." Bo & Ashley turned to face Ilia & Epona. "Did you know she was injured?"

"About that…" Ashley thought to herself, biting her lower lip & feeling quite guilty.

"Ashley Brunk! How could you do this? What the heck were you doing, jumping those fences?" Ilia asked her hotly.

"Calm down, Ilia. She didn't mean to-" Bo interjected.

"FATHER! Why do you act like Ashley did nothing? For the Goddesses' sake, you are the mayor!"

Both Ashley & Bo hung their heads in shame, but they glanced at one another. They shared the thought of, "Yeesh; what's gotten into her?" Next, Ilia further captured the attention of Ashley & the mayor by taking Epona. "C'mon, Epona. The water at Ordon Spring should heal you in time for Ashley's adventure!" They were shocked to see her make off with her horse without the prior consent.

"I don't know why this is such a big deal to Ilia, Ash, but you have to talk some sense into her about giving you Epona," Bo told her, obviously frustrated by his daughter's behavior.

"I swear it was on accident, Bo. I feel dumb."

"You shouldn't. You were the one from the village chosen to deliver that sword to Hyrule."

"Thanks, Bo." Ashley ran towards her house, but on the upward path, she heard voices in unison call out her name. Ashley twisted her head to her right to see Nicola & Allen, the parents who aided her to be the woman that she grew up to be. They were tall & thin, although her Dad was 6 feet & 6 inches. Ashley's Mom had light brown hair at her shoulders & hazel eyes. Ashley's Dad had a short, dark brown haircut & blue-grey eyes. They were farmers, as they produced the village's food.

"We wanted to tell you good luck on your quest," Allen said. "It makes me feel like a proud father to know my daughter is traveling all the way to Hyrule." Ashley grinned at them with a mix of emotions. She was happy with the chance to go, but her family meant the world to her.

"I am proud, too," Nicola agreed. "My goat herding, sword wielding daughter is expanding her horizons."

"I can handle myself," Ashley mentioned. "You two will see me again."

"That doesn't mean we can't worry, " Ashley's Mom told her.

Ashley hugged her parents after an interactional pause. "I'll miss you & my brother. I have no idea how long the trip is going to be, but you & Jon will be in my mind. You're my family, & I promise to be a respectful adult while in Hyrule Castle."

Once the moment with them happened, Ashley hiked to her tree home again, where she saw the kids of Ordon. "Ashley," Colin began. "Are you going to see Ilia?"

"Yes, because I need to talk to her about Epona!" Ashley exclaimed.

"I wanted to talk to her too, but the others are standing in the path between your home & the spring. Can you take me?"

"They'll move once they see that I am there. The other children should not treat you like this, Colin." Ashley walked with him to where Malo & Talo stood, & Beth remained by the house.

"It's about time you got here, Ash! Where've you been?" Talo said.

"I worked, & I had to meet with the mayor about my journey. Due to that, I might not be back in Ordon Village to be with all of you."

"We were just talking about yesterday," Malo mentioned. "Chasing that monkey yesterday was fun."

"But, we'll miss you, too," Talo abruptly interrupted as he faced Colin. The parties glanced at one another for a brief moment before Talo spoke to them. "Thanks for telling your Dad all about yesterday," Talo said sarcastically.

"They scolded us nonstop," Malo had murmured to himself.

"If you & Ashley are seeing Ilia, I won't let you pass. I can't forgive you for- Hey…" Talo paused, facing her. "Can I have your wooden sword? I could've showed those monsters."

She thought about this for a moment. "Talo's parents may not like the idea," Ashley thought. "But, it is only wood after all; it isn't like he'd hurt himself with a real blade." She quickly took the sword off her back & sent it Talo's way, smiling. "I do not see why not."

"Whoa. YES!" Talo exclaimed. "With this thing, I'll show 'em." He ran to the practice scarecrow by Ashley's house & swung at it with all of his might while a quiet Beth & Malo observed from a distance away. Following that, Colin knew it was a good time to talk, as Malo & Talo would not be able to mock him.

"Ashley…" He said. "Thanks; it is hard to hang out with them. I don't know what the big deal is about a wooden sword."

"I thought it was okay to give up that sword," Ashley answered. "The chances are good I'll get an improved one later in my life."

"Yeah," Colin replied to her. "I want to be as confident as you are when I'm older. I do not want to know about swordsmanship, but maybe you could teach me how to horseback ride. Can you teach me when you have time?"

"I can promise that."

Colin smiled at Ashley & ran off into the forest. She followed him at her own pace, but when she arrived at the ivy covered gate to Ordon Spring, it was locked tightly. It was irritating for her. "Ilia must have accessed its key." Ashley came upon a small clearing in the woods & saw a tunnel between two tall trees that she could fit into. Ashley got on her hands & knees to crawl to the spring. Whence Ashley found her way to the Spring, she saw Colin & Ilia talking & eavesdropped on their words.

"You don't say Colin," Ilia said. "I was wondering what everyone was talking about."

"Yes; it was Ashley who saved Talo," Colin interjected. "She is about to go to Hyrule, & she needs Epona."

"But, Colin…"

"She's responsible, Ilia."

Ashley rose from the dirt ridden tunnel, dusting herself off slowly. She stopped in the water where Ilia & Colin were & blankly stared at them. Ilia tried to approach Epona, but she neighed to let her know she wanted Ashley to ride her instead.

"I guess that Ashley is who you want as your master, Epona," Ilia mentioned. "You didn't get injured too much."

"You overreacted, Ilia," Ashley told her. "I must have Epona, if you please."

"Because Colin was right about your responsibility, I'll let you have her back, Ash. But, can you not do anything you wouldn't feel proud of on your journey?"

"I am not that impulsive."

"All of us here in Ordon want you to come home safely. That was all I had meant to say."

"Oh." Ashley nodded to Ilia, but, seconds later, it happened. A loud rumbling was heard by the door. A large, dark brown boar with green demons that had red, glowing eyes & ivory horns tore down the gate. They shot arrows at Colin & Ilia, & Ashley did not know what to do to stop them. However, she did not have much time to think, as she got clubbed clean in the head by another goblin atop a different boar. The creatures had captured Ilia & Colin, as well as the children who remained in the village that day.

As her body lay motionless in the unpolluted water, an armored, blue boar walked beside her. There was a much larger demon, & he summoned a black & multicolor portal directly above Ordon Spring, spreading it across the kingdom with an infernal racket from his bugle. The leader left Ashley alone by the time she awoke.

"Oh, my God! Colin & Ilia were both here… They're gone! Where are those two?" She frantically asked herself, running from the spring & along the bridge to Faron. But, something was different for this time. A towering, black barricade that emitted a weird, yellow light had taken the place of its normal entryway. "Uh, yeah; I'm going home- AGH!" A black hand with pointy nails snatched Ashley before she had the chance to flee. A black & gold sky surrounded her with shadowy trees & a washed out ground.

"Let go of me!" Ashley yelled, trying to free herself from the beast with a black & red circular face that would not loosen its grip around Ashley's long neck. "What do you want?" A bright golden beam of light from her left hand (the Triforce of Courage) blinded the beast. It wailed unpleasantly, dropping Ashley with her face adjacent to the ground. She tried to raise herself up, but her heart was racing too quickly to move. Ashley's Triforce glowed continuously, & finally, she was not human, roaring into the sky, & growling as she unconsciously fell with her paws near her head. Ashley was dragged away by the original shadow beast to a dungeon, but her Triforce was completely out of what power it had. A black & green imp with an orange & yellow ponytail who was not far took note of what happened.

"That woman has the Triforce of Courage, huh?"


	4. Chapter 4

After close to 8 months, I bring Chapter 4. I do not own anything.

A Heroine of Time

 _Chapter 4: Ashley's Transformation_

"My head hurts," Ashley thought as she woke from her uneasy slumber.

A loud & steady downpour of rain was heard from outside the dungeon where she was held captive. There was an assortment of tan, charcoal, and black stone tiles on the wall with no windows whatsoever. The stone floor tiles looked dismal, as they were mostly light grey, but tan and black were mixed in. There was a big steel door with open bars that were bound together by a lighter brown and black, longer steel bar.

"Where am I…? How long have I been here?" Ashley thought. She stood slowly and with confidence because she thought her appearance was not altered. "I'll just stand up, &\- WHAT?" Ashley was completely shocked to see two dark grey and white wolf paws where both her arms & feet were. The front left paw was chained to an iron post with a grey shackle, which hindered Ashley's walking capabilities. After gnawing at the chain & the shackle & trying to move about the dungeon, she gave up to accept her fate. Very suddenly, from the other side of the door, Ashley saw a being, an imp with an orange ponytail & a grey helmet covering one of her yellow, red, & orange eyes. It stared at her with a huge grin on its face. "Who is that, & what does he or she want with me?"

"I found you!" The imp exclaimed, jumping into the dungeon without hesitating. Not knowing what its intentions were at all, Ashley growled at the imp, baring her white fangs. "Oooh! Aren't you scary?" The imp said, crossing its glowing, green & black arms while facing her. "Eee hee! Are you sure you want to be doing that? Snarling & glaring at me?" Ashley continued to do so without regard to those questions. "Well, I guess it's your loss, then," The imp continued. "If you behave, I'll show you a way out of here!" Finally, Ashley's growling had ceased, standing up tall on the cold floor tiles. "That's better." The imp paused as Ashley awaited the directions. "You won't be a human anytime soon, so you should get used to being a wolf." This made Ashley whine a little, & it made her uncertain about whether she'll ever be the same again. "I know," The imp answered. "It sucks to be a beast, Ashley."

"How in the world does it know my name?" Ashley thought angrily, charging a bite towards the imp.

"What're you doing?" The imp asked, backing away quickly from her. "There's no need to bite!" After an awkward first meeting, it summoned a beam which included a black ball with a spiraling, red light inside from its hands. The imp thrusted the beam at Ashley's chained foot & released it for good. She was thankful to be mobile. "I bet you didn't know I could do that!" The imp exclaimed, moving somewhat slowly toward the door of the dungeon. "I suppose you're wondering where we are." As it said those words, the imp shape shifted through the steel in a molecular formation, & returned to its normal formation on Ashley's opposite. "If you can find a way to me, I'll tell you & show you how to get out." The imp landed on her feet, stretched, drew out a yawn, and was becoming impatient with Ashley, or it was a motivation for her to move. It was hard to say now since it was the first time the two had interacted.

Fortunately for the imp, Ashley did not take that long to find a hole that she could dig underneath the right side of the steel door. Ashley shook her head rapidly because of the dirt & stone from the floor, & she surveyed the area about her, wondering where the imp was. However, the imp plopped down on Ashley's back without a word or a warning. "Get off me! You never told me you were riding on me." Ashley thought, but she wanted to yell at the imp.

"Ah! I underestimated your perceptivity," The imp said, holding onto Ashley's fur while she paced in a frenzied & circular motion. A few seconds later, Ashley came to a full halt, & it imp laid on her back. "I think I'll help you out because you're cool, but there's a catch!" The imp exclaimed, abruptly gripping Ashley's right ear. "You have to do EXACTLY as I say! Now, let's go!" It released her ear, & Ashley ran on all fours to escape from the dungeon. There were small piles of gold hay by the cell in which Ashley was kept, & there was a different cell with a slightly cracked open door without any damage done to it. Ashley pushed through it & pulled a long, iron chain with a handle above her head. As the imp & its wolf travelled in the black, narrow, stone tunnel, they encountered an aura of green light at the first corner that was unable to be perceived by a normal person's vision. "Try using your senses," The imp advised Ashley, & she utilized them to view a soldier who was obviously frightened out of his wits.

"Can't… run… away… farther. That's far enough, right? I think I'll be safe here," The soldier said, panting. "What was that noise? Don't… Don't anything come near me!"

Once Ashley converted back to her regular vision, she pondered what she had just witnessed. "I don't know where we are, but those dark beings (or variations of them) must be around here."

"That was a soldier's spirit," the imp confirmed without reading Ashley's human mind. "He isn't the only one, & they might have useful information for us." Ashley nodded in acknowledgement & proceeded through the old sewer system. While wandering about the corridors, the two found some of the walkway was crumbling, and the irrigated stone had shown its age. At certain points in the sewer system, Ashley encountered small, black creatures who attacked her out of nowhere. She had to learn how to fight those as a wolf without the utilization of her swordswoman skills, but she was a fast learner. Ashley gnawed at & pounced on her enemies, & the imp told her where to go. Occasionally, she would have to lower & raise the water level in the old sewer system by jumping toward a long chain to reach an iron circle. There were spike pits in this location, & the water allowed Ashley & the imp to pass above them by swimming. Of course, more fearful soldier spirits were found across the old sewer system.

When they reached the end of the hallway, the imp transferred herself to a different room through another set of tall, iron bars to a different room. "This way! Over here!" The imp called out to Ashley, with her hair standing out of her helmet in a hand-like shape. "I'll be waiting for you, but you have to help yourself for a change!"

"The imp is right," Ashley thought. "I have to take care of myself sometimes." She pulled one of the chains to lower the water level to reveal a small tunnel on the left side of the wall. Ashley easily fit into the tunnel, & she ignored the soldier spirit on her left side to reunite with the imp who she was serving.

"Did the detour tire you out, little wolf?" The imp asked her. "It turns out that all of the spirits here are soldiers. Where in the world could we be?" Laughter arose from the imp. "If you want to get out of here, let's keep going!" Ashley & the imp turned to the left to encounter a frayed staircase with two ropes that tried to hold pieces of its spiral shape together. There was an opening in the metal ceiling of a golden sky with black undertones, & that led Ashley to believe that she'd finally figure out where she was.

At the beginning of Ashley's ascension, she leapt to an unstable pillar, which made her fall to an ankle-deep pool of water below. "Ugh… What are you doing?" The imp said, clearly dissatisfied with Ashley's attempt to climb the stairway. Ashley regained her composure & ascended the stairs again. "I guess I have to do EVERYTHING for you!" The imp exclaimed once she had reached the exact same point before falling. "I'll guide you to sure footing. Just jump when I prompt you." Ashley followed the imp's lead, but on her second time leaping to its location, part of the staircase crumbled like the other areas. Fortunately, this part was a little longer to walk on for them. Ashley found a pale, slightly slanted rock from which the imp prompted her to jump to another fragment of the staircase. She had to fight another small twilight creature, but that was not for very long. Ashley carefully strode across on of the ropes to make it to another piece of the sewer's stairway. Finally, after leaping from one area of the spiral to the next for the third time, the imp & wolf saw a tall, wooden door with no handle whatsoever at the top. However, there was an identical door above that was swaying open at a medium pace, due to the heavy winds. Ashley bit two bats with glowing red eyes, & the imp helped her leap up to the blowing door, using pillars from the tan, stone wall. They travelled through the door to explore their environment.

The rain heavily poured down in Hyrule, & the imp & Ashley were standing on the roof of the castle. No doubt this was where Rusl wanted her to go, but she could not show up like a wolf. The sky was gold with hints of black, & there were black accents that looked like downward falling confetti. The imp acknowledged that they left the old sewer system & delighted in the black cloud of twilight that presided in the kingdom. "Do you know where we are now, Ashley?" The imp asked. Ashley nodded, as she knew that, by this time, that she could not speak any English. "Look, there's someone I want to introduce you to," the imp continued. "But, I'll need you to get to that tower to do it." The wind made things a little difficult for Ashley & the imp to move toward the specific tower, which was guarded by gigantic, black bird with red mouths & no eyes. While they journeyed, they saw another soldier's spirit, but the roof was not scattered with spirits like that.

"What are these monstrous birds?" The spirit asked, frightened. "What in the world is happening here? Ah, our poor Hyrule Castle!"

"I knew I was at Hyrule Castle," Ashley thought. "I don't have the Ordon sword to give to the royal family with me though. God, this wolf thing won't end!"

"By the way, Ashley, that wasn't the person that I wanted you to meet," The imp had confirmed. "We need to make our way to that tower." It looked toward where they had to be, & Ashley utilized her head to push a wooden crate to a barred wall. This led them to a different walkway where birds attacked Ashley & the imp. At the end of this section, the imp viewed a post with a pillar in which Ashley could stand. "Look! A little further!" The imp said, & it prompted her to jump from that pillar to a neighboring post with pillars to land on the teal roof. Ashley ignored the birds' hostility & entered the dark, grey, pale, stone passage of the tower. She ran up the blackish gold, spiral stairway, which was in a good condition. Atop the flight were two dark, steel doors, & one of them was askew.

"Well, I am sure glad I do not have to use any handles to open the doors around here," Ashley thought.

Upon entering the dark room, there stood a figure wearing a black cloak, who was quietly staring out the large, glass window with a barbed, intricate design. A flash of lighting illuminated the windows, & Ashley growled at the figure, thinking it was an enemy she'd face. The imp chuckled briefly as they approached it, causing the figure to turn to show a human face that was hidden with a red scarf. Ashley's growls ceased because she had no legitimate reason to be on the defensive side, & the figure was engaged in conversation. "Midna?!" Asked a masculine voice from the figure when they approached it. Ashley did not realize that the imp's name was Midna, & she didn't know the person in the room at all.

"Eee hee! You remembered my name? What an honor for me…" Midna smirked as Ashley turned to observe where she was.

"So, this is the one for whom you were searching," the human said.

"She's not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess she'll do."

"Oh! That means she is the heroine who will bring the life back into the world of light & banish the darkness." Ashley gaped in astonishment. What darkness would she have to banish, & why was she chosen from across the kingdom to carry out this crucial task for Hyrule? The figure knelt to Ashley's level & appeared to be interested in Ashley's shackle on her left paw. "You were imprisoned?" Ashley nodded. "I am sorry."

"This is a little much for me to take right now," Ashley thought. "Here I am in front of the offspring of the rulers of Hyrule & I can't even talk properly because I'm a wolf. Please tell me that this is a dream."

Midna comfortably was seated on Ashley's back in the room. "I feel bad for her because she was thrown into this a while back & has no idea what's going on. Wouldn't it be wise to tell her all that you know… Twilight Prince?" A roll of thunder was heard, & the lightning was seen from the window whence she asked him that.

Prince Kyle looked Ashley in the eyes as they were by the active fireplace. "Listen well, then. It was a peaceful spring day in Hyrule… Until we were under attack." Ashley's ears perked up at the mention of the danger that made the kingdom fall into this depressing state. "The knights gathered around me after a dark cloud of smoke travelled down the aisle, but I joined them in the fight against the large creatures that entered the throne room," Kyle continued. "I told half of the knights to guide the King & Queen to a safe zone, & the remainder stayed to help me out. I did not know where these creatures came from, or what they wanted with Hyrule, but I was willing to do whatever I could to protect the citizens. I fought tooth & nail with the creatures, but the knights were struggling to fend off them. Then, I saw him. The leader of the creatures who had invaded the throne: Zant. He sauntered into the throne with two guards beside him. Zant stood a distance from my chair in the throne. I could not tell where Zant's gaze was, & I was paralyzed with some fear in my heart. 'You, sir, must choose now for all the people of Hyrule. Life or death,' he snarled. Because of my choice of life, what once was a bright & prosperous kingdom now lays in a woeful state. Additionally, the fearful townspeople are all spirits, yet I am unsure how to undo Zant's curse. The kingdom has succumbed to the twilight, but I remain its prince." The Prince removed the hood from his cloak, which gained Ashley's attention because she stood up straightly (& Midna was about to fall off her). "I am Prince Kyle, the son of King Jeffrey & Queen Lisa of Hyrule." He had deep, brown eyes with flickers of green & blonde, curly hair. The prince was skinny in his figure, but he was a tall man with long legs.

"But, Your Majesty, you don't have to be so sad," Midna told him.

"Why not, Midna?" Kyle asked her. "I mean, we have the Goddesses' chosen heroine here, but she can't just save the kingdom on a whim."

"I mean… Is perpetual twilight really all that bad?"

"Midna, I appreciate you trying to shed some light on the current circumstance," the Prince began. "But, we should talk seriously about this issue. Why do the shadow beasts look for you?"

"Why indeed? You tell me, Kyle," Midna laughed.

"The guard will be here any minute, so you & your wolf must flee my room. I hope we'll meet again."

Midna returned to Ashley's back, & they fled the Prince's room to come back to the bleakness of the corridor. They heard the door at the bottom of it creak loudly & heard the guard approaching slowly. Midna pulled Ashley's head up attentively & alerted her to the guard's presence at the foot of the staircase. Narrowly, they escaped by going back through the passageway in which they entered the tower. Midna stopped on the roof while Ashley followed, & they both paused briefly to determine what their next action would be exactly.

"A promise is a promise, so I'll take you back to where you first stumbled into the twilight, Ashley," Midna said. "But, aren't you forgetting something important?" She morphed into a screaming Colin & a screaming Ilia, indicating that Ashley should be in search of her Ordon Village friends. "Do you want to save them?" Ashley nodded in answer to Midna's question. Midna remained in Illia's form to reply to her. "Well, in that case, little Midna would be happy to help you!" Ashley continued to stare at Midna, unable to say a word. "But," Midna exclaimed. "You'll have to do as I say & serve me to fulfill your quest. Why don't you give it some thought, hm?" With Midna's power, she warped them back to Ordon Spring, & Ashley remained a wolf, even if she was back in the world as it was before. "Oh, I forgot to mention…" Midna's voice emerged from a different source, but her physical form in the twilight realm was missing. "You won't be a human anytime soon. See you later!" Ashley was puzzled by Midna's behavior & emerged from the spring outwardly through its gate. She wanted to go back home, but she was not sure how to return to her house in her current form. There was no way Ashley could climb the ladder tonight. Midna's voice rang once more seconds after Ashley took a few steps to Ordon. "So, um, what next?" Her shadowy form appeared under Ashley's body. "Did you think I'd disappear?"

"No; not really," Ashley thought to herself. "I don't know what I should do with my life because I am a wolf."

"You know you can't save your friends as you are," Midna told her informatively. "You were defenseless when that hand dragged you into the twilight. That's why you need somebody like me to help. Saving your friends depends on what your actions are, & you do not have much of a choice but follow my lead. I need a shield & a sword that suit me. We have no time to lose because the twilight is spreading around this world of light. While you waste your time, you could be serving me to help your own people."

Midna's words sparked desire for action & a sense of urgency in Ashley. Quickly, she ran toward Ordon Village to carry out her work.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 has arrived. I do not own anything. Please enjoy the chapter.

A Heroine of Time

 _Chapter 5: The Light Spirits_

As the sun began to set, Ashley dashed urgently back to Ordon Village without Midna atop her back through the forest's clearing. She turned her head back & forth intermittently & encountered one of the green demons from with a club, who she had seen before. Ashley attacked it for a minute, but she moved forward after eliminating the demon. The sky had almost completely darkened by the time Ashley did that, & she found two more clubbed demons in front of her house. Ashley attacked & had eliminated the other two as well, & she figured that it was best that she made her way into the main thoroughfare.

"Wait!" A voice called out. Ashley turned around slightly to find a squirrel on top of the entry to her home. "Thank you for taking care of those bad guys! They left the forest & the village a mess," the squirrel told her. "They kidnapped the village children. But, I know… you're not one of them."

"How does the squirrel know?" Ashley thought, growling & trying to make sense of this conversation.

"I know because you smell like the trees of Ordon," the squirrel continued, like it could read Ashley's mind. "If you run into any trouble, try talking to the animals. We animals understand one another, so you'll be all right." Once the squirrel talked to Ashley, it sprinted out of sight. She did not know whether her ability to speak with animals would help or hinder her progress of saving her fellow villagers.

Ashley cautiously wandered into Ordon to see that Hanch was standing atop the rock with the vines on its side & staring up at the clear night sky. "Oooh, how did it come to this?" He asked himself out loud. "Please say nothing has happened to the children." Hanch hung his head in shame & looked at the ground. "Forgive your good-for-nothing father…" Ashley heard these words & wished that she could reassure Hanch that his daughter was okay, but alas! She was a wolf & people would be frightened. Ashley dashed twice toward twin fiery torches on stands near the Malo & Talo's parents' house. A churning wooden water wheel was heard as she advanced.

"Oh! About the shield," the mayor's voice boomed.

"Shhh! Not so loud!" Jaggle shushed, & Ashley halted in her tracks momentarily. She crouched in the tall, yellow & green grass to eavesdrop on their little interaction.

"…So, the shield is still in your house, right?" Bo asked him quietly with his back turned.

"Uh, yeah, it should be in our storage loft," Jaggle answered back, thinking that nobody was listening.

"Good! Go grab it now. Rusl got badly wounded, so he can't go search for the kids. I'll go in his place."

"Are you crazy? Rusl has the sword, & if you go unarmed, you're done for!"

"I'll be fine. The sword we were goin' to give to the royal family should still be at Rusl's house."

"Okay, then. I understand. I'll get the shield. You just wait here…"

Suddenly, Ashley rose from hiding, & the men were quite startled by her. "No good! Run!" The mayor exclaimed before they ran simultaneously in the same way. Next, Midna reappeared from under Ashley's backside to commentate on the witnessed discussion.

"Well, well, well. That info is useful to us, isn't it, Ash?" They peered at the top of the house where the shield was kept in. "Ugh," Midna groaned. "Look at that open window. This village is full of idiots. We should jump on the water wheel, but from where?" She vanished from view again, & Ashley was left alone to find where to leap. After crossing the curved, wood bridge, a third torch lit up immediately.

"Mon- MONSTER!" Hanch yelled at the wolf. "You've come back for more, haven't you? My… MY daughter! Return her! & Take THIS!" He blew on the grass that summoned a hawk on his right hand. Hanch directed the hawk's charge at Ashley, & it collided with her body, damaging her life energy by a fraction. Ashley ran toward Sara's sundries & saw the cat she gave a fish to a few days ago, but it was meowing at her when she walked closer to it.

"Were you attacked by that hawk?" The cat asked Ashley. "You are no match for him. I am sorry. I'd sneak up on my master's husband from behind." Ashley took in this advice, & Midna had prompted her to jump from a rock on the right of the building to the top of the dark & light purple roof that belonged to Sara's store. Ashley dashed & leapt from the roof to the rock. Following the cat's proven premonition, Hanch fled his "post" & headed back to his locked house in the dark.

"Now's our chance to get inside that house!" Midna exclaimed as she glanced at the water wheel again. They jumped into the open window of Jaggle's household & encountered a tiny room with a roaring fireplace in the kitchen & two balconies inside of the room. There was no one inside to fear Ashley's wolf appearance. She leapt onto a wooden table with three freshly grown pumpkins on the bottom, right hand corner. There were three chairs at this table. One was neatly pushed in, while the other two were askew on the side next to the first. A blue, brown, & green, wool table cloth lay diagonally on the table. The shield itself was hung on the wall above the kitchen, & there were curtains around it that were predominantly yellow with hints of red in their design. Midna appeared again excitedly.

"Eee hee! Found it! Found it!" She exclaimed, & she, once more, prompted Ashley to leap to that upper floor. Ashley charged into the wall twice to knock down the shield from its proud display onto the worn & wooden floor. She utilized her mouth to pick the shield up, but she was not aware that she'd need a different one later in her quest. "It looks… kind of cheap…" Midna said to Ashley. "All right, then… Next is a sword. Hurry up & get one!" By this time, Ashley knew just where she needed to look based on the talk she heard between Bo & Jaggle.

Ashley jumped out the open window & created a big "splash"! This alerted Rusl, who was talking with Uli at their house on the wood porch. He had a flaming torch in this left hand & a sword on his back. "What was that sound?" Rusl asked his wife. "The children could not have returned… could they?" He turned his head westward. "I must go out & search one last time. You get inside the house. My handcrafted sword that Ashley was supposed to deliver to Hyrule is on the couch. If the mayor comes for it, please give it to him. The same applies for Ashley. I'd trust her if she visits our house tonight."

"But, darling…" Uli pleaded. "Your injuries! I know you want to help, but you're in no condition to fight. Perhaps, Ashley is out looking for the children."

"She may have been kidnapped by those creatures, though. If that's the case, I must rescue her as well as the children." Rusl walked slowly down the path from their house, & Ashley hid under the bridge by Jaggle's house for a few slow minutes, watching him limp around the village. Once he was out of her sight, she sprinted to the right of the entrance to the house & dug in a little hole, which led to the inside of Rusl, Colin, & Uli's house. Above Ashley's head was a hand drawn family picture by Colin, & two fishing rods were displayed by it. There was a white, lace table cloth with two wood chairs. In addition, there was a rocking chair in front of an ignited fireplace, a wooden stool, & a couch with three pillows on it where one of them was atop of another one. The sword lay on the lacy, white blanket on the couch, & Ashley picked it up without any hesitation.

"Looks like you can be useful when you concentrate!" Midna exclaimed, reappearing from underneath Ashley. "Now, we have to return to the twilight where you took the shape of a wolf."

Ashley dug out of the house with the shield & sword on her back, running quickly toward her own house again. "Beast! I have found you!" Rusl cried out when he had seen her face in the torch's flame. Frightened that her teacher would view her unfavorably, Ashley retreated from Ordon & headed toward the Spring.

Within the confines of the village, Ashley's family were doing chores in their medium sized house. They lived next door to Hanch & Sara, & the house was inside of a tall, maple tree. Ashley's mother was folding the laundry. Ashley's father was washing the dishes quietly from their dinner. Ashley's brother was cleaning the furniture in the living room. Something seemed off tonight, & one of them began the conversation.

"Shouldn't Ashley be back by now?" Nicola asked her fellow family members worriedly. "The errand she was asked to do is not supposed to be this long."

Finally, Jon paused his cleaning work & armed himself with a torch & a long sword. "I'll go find her."

"Maybe she encountered some monsters along the way to Hyrule," Allen told his son, but he left while he had said that.

"ASH!" Jon called out into the night sky that was filled with many different stars. "Where are you?" He wandered around the main area of Ordon Village, including Ordon Ranch, to find his only older sister. She must have been abducted by those goblins who took the village's children," he said out loud with a frown. Ashley whimpered as she was hidden in the grass by Sara's.

Next, Jon walked to Ashley's house to see that there was no light. Unfortunately, Jon did not see Ashley, but she followed him from behind on his frantic search. When Jon came into the clearing which led to the Spring & called out for her again, Ashley barked. He did not hear this & continued toward the woods. "I might have to look outside of the village," Jon said to himself as he approached the barrier between the worlds of light & darkness. Ashley wandered forward slowly when Jon approached the blockage, but she hid again once he turned back to go home. "I think this is as far as I can go. Who knows what'll happen to me if I try to enter," Jon said. "I should look for Ashley later."

Ashley wanted to show herself to her younger brother, but Midna advised against that. "I don't think he wants to see you as you are now." Ashley felt upset & tried to walk past Ordon Spring to face the dangers she would come across in the woods. Before Ashley crossed the bridge, something happened.

"Wait…" A voice beckoned from nowhere. "Come… to my spring…" This caused Ashley to do so, & she stared at the small waterfall with the green rocks that were surrounding it. "You have been transformed… by the power… of shadow," the voice continued. "Come… to me…" But, suddenly, tall, black, barrier markers with glowing, red engravings & a red, circular barrier enclosed her. "Beware… A shadow being… It approaches…" Ashley growled as a twilight being that looked like the one that attacked & imprisoned her in Faron Woods appeared instantly. Ashley demolished it, & the particles flew into the dark portal from which it was spawned.

A droplet of water rose, which meant that light was restored to Ordon Spring. The rocks glowed profusely, & the spirit acknowledged her presence. It took the form of a giant goat who glowed a golden yellow & had tall antlers with the regained light in between them. "I am one of the four light spirits who protect Hyrule for the gods, Ordona. "The shadow being you slayed tried to take the power of light that I wield. The other spirits had their light taken from them, & the shadow beings spread this darkness into the world of light. If you are not careful & do not act urgently, the king of the twilight will rule all Hyrule. To prevent this from happening, you must return the light to their owners. You are required to revive the different light spirits alone. You have not discovered your true power yet. If you can return the light to the spirit in Faron Woods, there is a chance that you would be able to transform to your original state… but it is usually not so." Once Ordona gave Ashley this crucial information, he vanished in the center of the spring. She ran out the gate & faced the twilight entry before her. Midna appeared once more as Ashley examined the markings on the wall.

"Hey, look," Midna said. "Faron Woods is covered in twilight. I could let you in, but you might not come back out. Are you sure you want to be immersed in the twilight?" Ashley nodded seriously, & Midna merged with the blockage. A large, orange hand grabbed Ashley & pulled her into the bleak-looking forest. Once they were in the forest, Midna rode on Ashley's back & wore the shield Ashley collected on her face & held the sword in her left hand. She swung the sword three times, which had startled Ashley. "I doubt these could stop the twilight beings," Midna told Ashley. "But, I'll keep the shield & sword until you need to utilize them, since you obviously know more than I do." With a snap of her finger, the weapons dematerialized into black particles.

"I hate not being able to talk," Ashley thought. "I've been given lots of info today, & I do not know if I can trust Midna or not."

"If you help me find things that I need, I'll do the same thing for you," Midna continued. "But, if I were you, I would work on bringing back the light to Faron's spirit, for now." Ashley nodded in agreement & dashed down the path in Faron Woods with muted colors. When they came to the end of the dirt path with a circle, Ashley & Midna were fenced in with a barrier that had the appearance of the Spring's. A black & red portal appeared, & three shadow beings surrounded the two of them. "I trust your combat abilities can guide you through this?" Midna asked Ashley. She nodded to answer, growling loudly at the beings around her. "Good!" Midna dismounted from Ashley's back & floated away to let her fight them. Everything was proceeding smoothly, until one of the shadow beings had released an unpleasant, cringe worthy bellow, which caused all of them to live & fight Ashley again.

"Oh, come on!" Ashley thought to herself. "I thought they were down."

"What's taking so long?" Midna asked to Ashley, returning to her seated position on Ashley's back. It was then that she realized Ashley was struggling & had to lend her assistance to her. "If you leave the last one alive, it'll shriek to bring the others back. Just follow my lead." With their combined aura & standing in the middle of all three shadowy beasts, Midna created a forcefield with her hair shaped like a hand on top of her head. A lighter shade of red possessed the creatures, & Ashley charged through them all. The shadow beasts were then forced back into the green & black portal.

Thus, Midna & Ashley dashed down the hill to approach Faron in the Spring. Standing next to the flowing, small waterfall, Faron was nothing more than specs of light that were floating in midair. "Please be careful," Faron warned. "These woods have changed. Hazel-eyed beast… Look for my light which the dark creatures took from me & keep them in this vessel." A curved vessel with tiny circles up its spine was given to Ashley. "The insects of darkness carry the light which was mine, & you will need to utilize your senses to see & defeat all of them," Faron advised, & he disclosed information to the two as to where the insects were.

As soon as Ashley turned around from Faron Spring & rushed into the curvy pathway to her right, dark plants attacked. But, flashes of moving pink light were visible. Ashley utilized her senses quickly & pounced on the insects. Clear, blue tears floated left & right, & Midna placed the tears in the vessel when Ashley had collected them. Once they emerged from the miniature tunnel, Ashley veered to the left, ignoring the pink light that transferred itself underneath the wooden, locked gate. There, Coro's decently constructed house (which was made of wood) stood. Coro's spirit was nowhere to be found outside of his home, Instead, there was a pink flash of light on its right wall. Ashley rammed her head against the wall to provoke the creature & destroyed it, releasing another tear of light. Midna & Ashley collected this & leapt from a small incline into the open window of Coro's house. The inside of the house was not the cleanest in the world. There were papers on a section of the floor & there were numerous items on the floor, in addition. Ashley could see Coro's spirit with her senses. He was standing atop a wooded crate & trembling with fear.

"What's with these bugs?" Coro asked. "Those things are NOT normal! C'mon, get away, bugs. Shoo… Get out of here." Immediately, Ashley took the insects out, which had relieved Coro. "I swear, things are getting crazier in Faron Woods now." Ashley & Midna jumped outside from the window after they collected those tears, & Ashley returned to the gate. She dug underneath a suspicious area in the ground & utilized Midna's energy field to obliterate the crawling dark insects. Ashley & Midna collected tears & ventured into the cave where Ashley had visited previously. Twilight bats & plants were present, but they decided to speed through this to come upon the open forest with a thick, purple fog underlying it. If Ashley touched it, it would poison her. Firstly, she destroyed the two insects who were latched onto the woods' wall & walked onto a small hill. Second, Midna prompted Ashley to leap from tree to tree fragment. That helped Ashley to annihilate three dark insects who stole Faron's light. Third, Ashley had to dig up the dirt that moved quickly above the earth when they reached the other side of the wood's opening. Vicious, illuminating pink dark insects were revealed, but Ashley had pounced on them once more for them to give up their tears.

Outside of another tunnel, a long bridge was sitting vertically across the forest wall. Ashley did not know why it was there, but, as she stepped near the wooden structure, black & red barriers encircled her. Three shadow beasts wandered about, & Midna utilized her force field while Ashley attacked them all. Another portal in the sky absorbed the creatures, which allowed Midna & Ashley to proceed up the tree path that lay ahead. Whence they made their way to the top, Ashley utilized her senses to view the female monkey who she saved from the goblins. She was in peril, standing atop a barrel & shielding her eyes from the insects that surrounded her. Luckily, Ashley cut to the chase & obliterated the insects. "Someone helped me?" The monkey asked, bewildered by the disappearance of the pink. "The boss' insanity has caused monsters to appear around Faron. The village kids were led here for a reason. I have no idea what has happened here." With that, the monkey's spirit had vanished, & Ashley & Midna collected the last two light tears.

The full vessel of tears restored light to Faron Province, which allowed the two to be transported back to the Spring. "Why would you want a world of light when the twilight is much better?" Midna's transparent form asked, shrugging. "See you later!" She merged with the center of Faron Spring, & it emitted with a golden light. A boar-like figure with a scorpion tail regained the ball of light & held it tightly in his arms. It floated in air & turned its head toward Ashley.

"My name is Faron, the second light spirit of Hyrule who protects this forest," the spirit had confirmed. "While others were transformed into spirits, you became a hazel-eyed beast. It signified that you carry the ongoing spirit of the hero."

"What?" Ashley asked, surprised at the fact that she can talk again, as well as what Faron was telling her.

"O brave youth, do not think that your battles are done," Faron said.

"I know. There are many more to face, which includes retrieving the light for the remaining spirits," Ashley told Faron confidently.

"Look at your awakened form."

Ashley slowly looked at herself. A long, green tunic covered her upper body. Golden chain mail & a white shirt lay beneath the garment. A brown, leather belt with a gold buckle was worn around Ashley's back, & a brown, leather strap that housed her sword & shield crossed her chest. Ashley had khaki tights & long, dark brown, suede boots on her feet. Brown & black fingerless gloves were on her lower arms. To top off this look, she had a green, triangular shaped hat that managed to stay on her head of thick, brown hair. "How the heck did my clothes change suddenly?" Ashley said.

"The green tunic that is your garb once belonged to the ancient hero chosen by the gods…" Faron explained. "His power is yours. His is the true power that slept within you. Your name is Ashley. You are the heroine chosen by the gods."

"My God… I never knew."

"Brave Ashley... To save the entire kingdom, you have no choice but to face the king of shadows, & you must gather the pieces of a dark power. Go to the temple that is deep within these woods to obtain the first one of them. Good luck." Faron dissipated gradually in the Spring as he uttered those words to the chosen heroine.

She acknowledged what the spirit had told her & glanced excitedly at her hands. Ashley was a woman once more. When she began wandering away from Faron Spring, Midna reappeared from out of the blue. "If you want to save your friends & Hyrule, let's go to the Forest Temple, Miss Important Heroine!"


End file.
